The Rev. Earl Helge Byleen, age 80, of Stromsburg, Neb., died Thursday, Oct. 3, 2002, in Lincoln, Neb.

He was born on Feb. 16, 1922, in Chicago, Ill., to Karl Erland Byleen, who was born in Torsang, Sweden, and Helga Maria Charlotta Sandstedt, who was born In Tranas, Sweden.

He was a retired Baptist pastor, and a World War II Army veteran. He was a graduate of the University of Minnesota, Bethel Theological Seminary In St. Paul, and the American Baptist Seminary of the West in Berkeley, Calif. He was the pastor of churches in Minnesota, California and New Jersey. Churches in Nebraska included Stromsburg Baptist, Second Baptist in Lincoln, and First Baptist in North Platte. In his retirement he wrote a Swedish column with English translation in the Stromsburg newspaper weekly for 10 years.

Survivors include his wife, D. Adele Byleen of Lincoln; sons and daughters-in-law: Karl and Nancy Byleen of Milwaukee, Wis., and Judson and Karen Byleen of Lincoln; daughters and sons-in-law: Mary and Bob Kraft of Gering, Neb., Elizabeth Byleen & Michael Higleyof Lawrence, Kan., and

Ruth and

Sten Rossby of Luxembourg; sister, Averil Campbell of Santa Barbara, Calif.; 11 grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents.

A Gathering of Remembrance will be 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 11, at Roper & Sons Chapel, 4300 ‘O’ St., Lincoln. A memorial service will be 11 a.m. Saturday, October 12, at Second Baptist Church, 525 N. 58th St., Lincoln. A memorial service will also be held at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 13, at the Midwest Covenant Home, Stromsburg. The Rev. James Cummings will officiate.

Memorials may be made to: Bethel Theological Seminary, 3900 Bethel Dr., St. Paul, MN 55112, or American Baptist Seminary of the West, 2606 Dwight Way, Berkeley, CA 94704.

Visitation is 2 p.m. Thursday until 9 p.m. Friday at Roper & Sons Funeral Services, Lincoln.

Condolences may be e-mailed to contact@roperandsons.com.